SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 17, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Gov. Spencer J. Cox has announced the appointment of Jack Szczepanowski as the state’s new Medicaid director.
The appointment is subject to approval by the Utah Senate, said a press release from the Office of the Governor.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Jack to Team Utah,” Cox said. “His experience in analyzing financial data and understanding this important program will serve Utahns well. His perspective will also be helpful as we establish the Utah Sustainable Health Collaborative that is focused on reducing health care costs and improving health outcomes for Utahns. I look forward to working with him.”
Szczepanowski is currently vice president of Medicaid Networks, Vendors and Value-Based Strategies for Humana Inc., a position he’s held since 2015. He previously served as Humana’s vice president of Behavioral Health Network Operations and was president of CaptureRX, LLC, an administrative services company.
Cox has appointed Tonya Hales as the interim state Medicaid director. Hales will serve as interim Medicaid director until Szczepanowski steps into his new role in mid-January 2022. Hales will serve as the assistant deputy director of Health Care Administration in the newly consolidated Utah Department of Health and Human Services which will formally begin operations on July 1, 2022.
Hales will be replacing Emma Chacon who has served as interim Medicaid director since March 2021, the press release said. Chacon is retiring after 16 years of service within Medicaid, and 29 years with the Department of Human Services, including 12 years as the director of the Office of Recovery Services.
Medicaid is one of the largest programs in state government and contributes significantly to the financing of Utah’s health care system. It has an operating budget of more than $4.5 billion, and through its many programs provides more than 410,000 Utahns access to health care every year.
